Review: Sea of Tranquility

From Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel:

Edwin St. John St. Andrew, eighteen years old, hauling the weight of his double-sainted name across the Atlantic by steamship, eyes narrowed against the wind on the upper deck: he holds the railing with gloved hands, impatient for a glimpse of the unknown, trying to discern something—anything!—beyond sea and sky, but all he sees are shades of endless gray."
	Amazon

A time travel story in which a glitch in time brings centuries together. And sends characters from earlier novels into alternate timelines. These stories slowly weave together into a mesmerizing whole. B+

POTD: Oum Kalthoum Cafe

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Oum Kalthoum Cafe in a street market in Luxor, Egypt.

Oum Kalthoum was an Egyptian singer and actress and is considered to be a national icon. Upon her death in 1975, an estimated 4 million people lined the route of her funeral procession to pay their respects. We didn't know any of that before we chose to sit and relax in a hookah cafe named for her. But now we do, and so do you.

For All Mankind - S01 (TV 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

For All Mankind - S01 (TV 2019): Alternative history of NASA where Russians win the Space Race to the Moon. A few references to alternative facts that people familiar with history will appreciate, but also a lot of soap opera storylines and convenient plot developments. B-

#VeryTardyReview

The Supreme Court has Gone Rogue

Family Fourth Celebration, Breckinridge Park, Richardson, 2015

The Supreme Court refuses to respect prior rulings by the Court. It has gone rogue. Just this term, it overturned major rulings that were settled law for decades. Rove v. Wade is the obvious one. But the decision to prohibit the EPA from regulating power plants is perhaps even more threatening to our American system because of the legal reasoning behind the decision. The Court based its decision on what's called the nondelegation principle. That holds that Congress cannot delegate its rights to the Executive Branch. Think of all the regulations of the federal government. Almost all of them are set by agencies of the Executive Branch. The agencies were given the authority to create administrative law through laws enacted by Congress. It's this action by Congress that the Supreme Court has said is unconstitutional. If all that is not bad enough, it gets worse.

Random Thoughts: The Lincoln Lawyer

Tweets from June, 2022:

• 2022-06-01: The Lincoln Lawyer (TV 2022): A David E. Kelley courtroom drama fit for 1980's network television. The cast of characters has all the usual stereotypes. The plot is full of as many holes as twists. Whodunnit? Everyone. Watch Goliath instead. C+
• 2022-06-02: In gun-crazy Texas, Gov Abbott's idea is a good way to get shot.
• 2022-06-03: We Feed People (2022): Ron Howard doc about chef Jose Andres and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen. His focus? Feeding people, not raising money. It turns out that running a restaurant kitchen is good training for managing natural disasters. Inspiring. Watch, then donate. B+
• 2022-06-05: Today's Trump fundraising email: "BRAND NEW TRUMP GOLF BALLS." My suspicions are immediately raised. Has he been selling used golf balls in the past?
• 2022-06-05: Do you know what would show they really mean it? Withholding some of those "Big $" from GOP politicians until they pass common sense gun regulations.

After the jump, more random thoughts.

The Card Counter (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Card Counter (2021): Mistitled. It's not about casino gambling. It's about Abu Ghraib and PTSD. It's about revenge and redemption. Oscar Isaac is the best thing in the movie but he's not served well by the script, which has all the major showdowns playing out off screen. C+

WAIW: Water, Trees, Serenity

Where Am I Wednesday?

Fifty points to the first person to identify where this photo was taken.

Answer is after the jump.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV 2022): The Mandalorian gave us baby Yoda. This series gives us cute little Princess Leia. Spoiler: Obi-Wan Kenobi spares Darth Vader in the big battle in Episode 6. To think he could have saved us from all those other movies. For fans only. C+

Civil Dialogue? Sure. And More.

Source: Aero Magazine.

This blog usually focuses on local matters, for which there's too little coverage in the news media. For national affairs, there's plenty of coverage of that elsewhere. My comments aren't needed. But somehow, SCOTUS repealing the Roe v. Wade decision that was the law of the land for fifty years feels different. I can't resist responding to this comment in my Facebook feed: "We as human beings and citizens of this great nation are better together when we have respectful and civil dialogue to discuss the issues." Civil dialogue? Sure. And More.

Hustle (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hustle (2022): NBA scout finds prospect in Spain (played by NBA player Juancho Hernangomez) but struggles to get him a chance at home. A traditional sports story, but this one is filled with cameos of real NBA stars playing themselves. Adam Sandler wins by playing it straight. B-